In order to reduce takeoff and landing speeds, modern commercial aircraft frequently comprise high lift components which when required effect a significant increase in the surface of a wing and its curvature. Apart from single-part and multi-part trailing edge flaps of various designs, there are also slats, leading edge flaps and nose flaps on the wing leading edge. Because of the wingspan of larger aircraft, a profile thickness that decreases towards the outside, and sometimes a different movement path between the outside and the inside of leading edge flaps, such high lift components are usually segmented. The individual segments are individually moved.
It is known to arrange intermediate seals between adjacent segmented high lift components, which intermediate seals close the gap between the high lift components. Consequently, adjacent high lift components form an essentially uninterrupted contour so that the performance of the high lift system is improved because gap flows can be largely avoided.
At the same time, the state of the art shows that in particular in larger wingspans, gaps between adjacent high lift components are increased during deflection of the wing to such an extent that intermediate seals arranged therein are no longer able to completely close the gap. This results in performance losses in the high lift system.